Portland Street Response Mental Health Crisis Responder II

Full Job Description

About Portland Street Response (PSR):

Portland Street Response is a compassionate, trauma-informed first response agency. PSR is dispatched by the Bureau of Emergency Communications (BOEC) to address mental and behavioral health crises, as well as non-emergency situations involving vulnerable populations.

Program Values:

• Equity & Social Justice: Strive to uplift the dignity and worth of all Portlanders, particularly those who have been historically marginalized and criminalized, by ensuring timely and professional person-centered first response.

• Collaboration: Ensure the best possible outcomes for our clients by working collaboratively with community partners, and traditional first responders.

• Empathy & Compassion: Operate from a framework of Trauma-Informed Care with the recognition that adverse life experiences (including health systems and carceral trauma) create barriers for clients to connect with the care and supportive services they need to thrive in the community.

• Resource Efficiency & Prioritization: Respond to the complex care needs of individuals experiencing low acuity crises in the community to enable Police and Fire resources to attend to life saving and crime-related calls for service.

Position Summary
Mental Health Crisis Responders II will respond to non-emergent 911 calls in partnership with a Community Health Medical Responder (EMT). The Mental Health Crisis Responders II respond to sub-acute behavioral health and substance use-related crises that present no criminal intent, fire, or medical emergency. The incumbent provides crisis intervention, de-escalation, risk assessment, and other brief behavioral health interventions to clients who are in emotional distress. The incumbent will consider the psychosocial aspects of the behavioral health crisis and engage inappropriate resource and/or service coordination to address precipitating factors and resolve the presenting crisis. The Mental Health Crisis Responder II is distinguished from the Mental Health Crisis Responder I in that the level II provides case consultation and clinical supervision and support to the Mental Health Crisis Responder I’s. Mental Health Crisis Responder II is also expected to participate in on cases that require a higher level of intervention.

As the Mental Health Crisis Responder II, you will be responsible for the following:

• Provide immediate mobile crisis response to service calls dispatched through the 911 system in the city of Portland per program policies and procedures.
• Effectively engage with diverse clients across social, cultural, and economic differences in a respectful and collaborative manner.
• Identify and assess risk factors for harm to self or others in the context of the client’s current psycho-social state via interview with client and with consideration given to collateral information.

Consider and articulate potential outcomes of various interventions, discuss their risks and benefits, and formulate why a particular course of action was pursued in lieu of other options.

Apply principles of client-centered and trauma-informed, opting for the least intrusive and most supportive intervention.

• Effectively implement behavioral interventions such as collaborative problem-solving, short-term goal setting, and risk reduction/safety planning in a client-centered manner.
• Engage in resource and service coordination to de-escalate and resolve the presenting crisis.
• Coordinate responses to crisis situations with community agencies and service providers. Consult with fellow crewmembers, supervisors, program managers, and bureau leadership as appropriate.
• Escalate difficult or complex issues and/or cases and assignments to Mental Health Crisis Responder II.
• Document and maintain electronic medical records (EMR) and ancillary records in a manner that assures compliance with all agency policies, program procedures, and local, state, and federal regulations.
• Support program continuous quality improvement (CQI) efforts by participating in chart review and maintaining accurate documentation of key goals, outcomes, and indicators to ensure high-quality client care.
• Participate in all scheduled staff meetings, supervision sessions, other departmental or bureau meetings, and relevant local and regional trainings.
• Complete employee training requirements in a timely manner as indicated in the requirements for the bureau and applicable licensing boards.
• Conduct a Mental Status assessment and formulate clinical impressions based on knowledge of symptom criteria in the most current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).
• Assume a lead role for assigned Mental Health Crisis Responder I positions by providing case consultation, individual and group clinical supervision, on-scene co-response, and clinical support for complex crisis calls.
• Provide input for performance reviews of Mental Health Crisis Responder I positions.

Physical Demands: May move equipment weighing up to 40 lbs. Bend, stoop, kneel, squat, and stand on uneven surfaces for extended periods.

Frequently Asked Questions

What will my schedule be?

Portland Street Response (PSR) currently operates 0600-0000, 365 days a year, and is working toward 24/7 operations.

Employees in this classification work varying shifts that cover all hours of operation. During training your schedule will change based on the availability of trainers.

Schedules may change with as little as 7 days’ notice. Once training is complete you will be able bid on an available schedule based on seniority.

Who is the primary population served by Portland Street Response?

With our current call criteria, we respond out of doors and in publicly accessible spaces. Many of the people we contact are experiencing houselessness.

For more details on PSR’s call criteria and response, please see

https://www.portland.gov/streetresponse/psr-faq

Questions?
Jaclyn Snyder, Senior Recruiter
Bureau of Human Resources
Jaclyn.Snyder@portlandoregon.gov

Requirements

Applicants must specifically address and demonstrate in their cover letter and resume how their education, training and/or experience, meets each of the following required minimum qualifications:

1. Knowledge and understanding of related privacy rules and laws, mandatory reporting, and legal responsibilities including HIPPA, and the ability to learn City of Portland Policies and Procedures.

2. Knowledge and understanding of cultural differences, especially as they relate to race, sexual orientation, gender equality, socioeconomic status, and their intersections.

3. Experience engaging and assessing clients’ risk of harm to self or other (suicide, homicide, violence) and effectively reducing or eliminating risks identified.

4. Ability to work effectively and collaboratively in multi/intra-disciplinary settings with other first responders, and health and community agencies.

5. Ability to observe and recognize reactivity by clients and to effectively respond and mitigate these issues when they emerge.

6. Experience with medical terminology, navigating health systems, and entering documentation into medical record systems.

Mental Health Crisis Responder II applicants must possess one or more of the following licenses at the time of hire:

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)

• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)

• Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT)

Although not required, you may have one or more of the following preferred qualifications:

• Five (5) years’ experience in direct behavioral health service or equivalent.

• Qualified Mental Health Provider (QMHP) with at least two years post-graduate clinical experience

• Understanding of the principles and practices of Trauma Informed Care (TIC).

• Experience facilitating groups and trainings.

• Experience providing individual and group clinical supervision.

• First response or frontline community-based crisis response experience.

• Trained in behavioral health crisis assessment and intervention.

• Bi-lingual fluency is desired. Click here for a list of qualifying languages.

• A valid state driver’s license and acceptable driving record.

Qualifications

• Resume
  • Note: Do not include your age, date of birth, or the dates you attended or graduated from school. Only provide this information if it is specifically requested to meet job requirements or to follow federal, state, or local laws or rules.

Cover LetterDetails are key!

The city uses a merit-based system, so your cover letter should be thorough and specifically address each qualification listed in the "To Qualify" section of the job announcement.

Your cover letter can exceed one page, to ensure you are able to provide the detailed information for every qualification.

Follow the instructions, as a subject matter expert will be evaluating your details to confirm that you meet the minimum requirements.

• Answer to three (3) Supplemental Questions (click on the Questions tab to preview the questions)

• If you wish to request Veteran's Preference, please submit your veteran documents (e.g., DD214-Member 4, VA Benefit Letter) by the recruitment's closing date.

Effective January 1, 2026, the State of Oregon law ORS 408.225 - 408.238 is amended to expand eligibility for Veterans’ Preference to current and former Oregon National Guard service members.

If applicants are existing state or former Oregon National Guard servicemembers, they are encouraged to attach appropriate documentation to their future recruitment applications.

• Update: As of March 3rd, 2025, if you made the eligible list and met the eligibility to receive veteran preference, you will no longer need to submit veteran documents for future recruitments.

If you need to update or remove your veteran preference for a specific recruitment or from your master profile, please contact the recruiter listed in the job announcement.

Application Tips:

• Your cover letter can exceed one page, to ensure you are able to provide the detailed information for every qualification. A subject matter expert will be evaluating your details to confirm that you meet the minimum requirements.
• Your resume should support the details described in your cover letter.

How We Determine Pay: The City of Portland is covered by the Oregon Equal Pay Act.

Your salary is determined based on the experience listed in your resume that is directly related and equivalent to the position for which you are applying.

It is strongly encouraged to include any transferable experience (paid or unpaid regardless of how recent) to ensure your offer is reflective of all your relevant experience.

• Do not attach materials not requested.
• All completed applications for this position must be submitted no later than on the closing date and time of this recruitment.
• All applications must be submitted via the City's online application process. E-mailed and/or faxed applications will not be accepted.
• You can use AI tools to assist with your job application, but please make sure to personalize your responses to supplemental questions. Avoid copying and pasting; instead, use AI to generate ideas and then tailor them to reflect your own experiences and skills.

• An evaluation of each applicant's training and paid and unpaid experience, as demonstrated in their resume and cover letter, weighted 100%.
• Your resume and cover letter will be the basis for our evaluation of your qualifications for this position. Incomplete or inappropriate information may result in disqualification.
• You have 14 days from the notice of the minimum qualification evaluation results to let us know if you like to review and discuss your evaluation result. Please read the City of Portland Administrative Rule 3.01 for complete information.
• Additional evaluation may be required prior to establishment of the eligible list and/or final selection.

• Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be placed on the equally ranked eligible list.

• Hiring bureau will review and select candidates to interview.

• A start date will be determined after all conditions of employment have been met.

Additional Information

Click here for additional information regarding the following:

• Veteran Preference
• ADA, Pregnancy, and Religious Accommodations
• Work Status
• Equal Employment Opportunity